Germany rebuffs Trump, backs Zelenskyy and Russia sanctions

Germany will keep its sanctions on Russia and is working with European partners on more of them. Berlin said so on Saturday, Oct. 10, a day after President Donald Trump announced that Washington had temporarily lifted US sanctions on Russian fuel so Moscow could ship diesel to world markets.reuters+1

"The federal government has taken note of the US decision relating to Russian diesel deliveries," government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius said in a statement. "The federal government remains committed to the decisions on sanctions against Russia and is working with its European partners on further sanctions". He said Germany's support for Ukraine had not changed and that diplomatic work toward a peace settlement would continue.aa+1

A gap with Washington

Trump announced the deal on Friday after a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a post on Truth Social, he said Russia would "immediately supply" more than 300,000 tons of diesel to the United States and global markets. He said another 500,000 tons would follow in November, with larger amounts after that depending on the state of Russia's refineries. Diesel prices are near record levels after the US-Israeli war with Iran, and that is putting pressure on Republicans ahead of the Nov. 3 congressional elections.dw+2

On Saturday Trump went further and called on Ukraine to "get a new leader who can make a deal," accusing President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of turning down earlier agreements. On Sunday, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul pushed back at a leadership meeting of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democrats. He said Berlin would "fully support the president as he carries out his difficult duties." "We don't need less pressure, we need more pressure on Putin to make him be ready to negotiate," he said. Education Minister Karin Prien was more blunt, writing on X: "For a few liters of diesel. What a moral bankruptcy".aa+1

Little effect on German supply

German officials said the US decision changes nothing for the domestic market. A spokesperson for Economy Minister Katherina Reiche said "Germany stands fully behind the sanctions packages." The spokesperson added that Germany has imported no Russian oil or oil products since EU sanctions took effect in 2023: "we are independent of Russian oil". The Fuels and Energy industry association said the EU ban on Russian diesel, in force since Feb. 5, 2023, still applies. Given the volumes reported, the group said it expects no significant effect on world markets or on prices at German filling stations.headtopics+2

Germany is Ukraine's largest European donor. Merz visited Kyiv on Oct. 4 and has said repeatedly that Berlin will not cut its support. Britain also told Zelenskyy it would keep tightening its own sanctions on Russia, according to a Downing Street spokesperson. It is still unclear how much Russian diesel will actually reach the market, since Russia has domestic fuel shortages and Ukraine keeps striking Russian refineries.straitstimes+2